So what's the best flooring for your bathroom? Here's a look at some of today's most popular choices of bathroom flooring. 

The best waterproof flooring to spruce up your bathroom

Bathroom flooring requires special consideration when you decide to spruce it up because you must strike a balance between the look and practicality of the use. Whether you have shower enclosures, a jacuzzi bathtub with jets or walk-in showers the floor must be water and moisture-resistant for it to last past the first year.

Keeping all this in mind, you need to consider flooring that can be resilient to water spillages and mopping with an air-tight locking system in between the joins to avoid seepage, moisture from humidity after long hot showers, and somewhat strong and sturdy to withstand regular traffic.

SHOP Bathroom flooring from £17.99 m²

So what's the best flooring for your bathroom? Here's a look at some of today's most popular choices of bathroom flooring. 

Ceramic or Porcelain Tiles

Porcelain is the queen of bathroom flooring as it is naturally waterproof, cost-effective and pretty stylish. The porcelain tiles have a luxurious, textured feel to them and are quite inexpensive. Porcelain is part of the general ceramic family, but it differs as it has a different rate of water absorption. Tiles which have a 0.5% less absorption rate are certified as porcelain, making them ideal for bathrooms and wet rooms where they will come into direct contact with water and moisture.

Due to the vast amount of available ceramic tiles, it's easier to create and design the exact floor you desire. The tiles themselves come in a wide variety of shapes and sizes, and you can also get creative and purchase smaller mosaic tiles that are pre-mounted on a mesh to make the bathroom look attractive. Ceramic and porcelain tiles clean up thoroughly, and although they can be cold, underfloor heating comes through them nicely, giving the soles of your feet a nice warm touch.

Luxury Vinyl Tiles (LVT)

Our top recommendation for waterproof floors is LVT Flooring and it can give your bathroom a high-end luxury look and feel and that too, for a fraction of the price. In most cases, the tiles come with beautiful wood and natural stone tile effects making the space in your bathroom look elegant and sophisticated. You can find both water-resistant and waterproof tiles which are perfect for bathrooms, keeping the moisture at bay.

Don’t be confused by the word tiles here as they are not your common porcelain or ceramic tiles. LVT is made from a unique layers of composite vinyl materials that are intensely compressed to give its hardened properties. The tiles have a flexible movement within them and come in squares and long planks similar to laminate but the difference is it doesn’t contain any wood particles at all making it an ideal waterproof flooring.

Luxury vinyl tiles feel soft and warmer to touch which is what makes it a great material to use on the bathroom floor, unlike porcelain which will naturally be colder on the bare feet. It is especially ideal for those cold winter mornings. LVT can be installed directly over your existing floor, which makes using them easy and convenient, allowing your creative juices to flow. If you do happen to install it over another layer of flooring, make sure the underneath is completely spotless as the tiles will show any particles of dust and dirt left under it. 

TIP: Make sure you have an almost flat level floor when installing LVT because most vinyl tiles are less than 5mm and very flexible material and if not laid on a flat level floor could compromise the joins to be exposed allowing water and moisture to seep through. Which I am sure you know what that could lead to!

Natural Stone

Although natural stone is an expensive choice, it can be quite suitable for bathrooms. Natural stone is hard and durable, which is everything you need when considering a bathroom floor, but on the downside, natural stone can be cold and slippery, making it dangerous. Natural stone in a bathroom can make the space look aesthetically pleasing, but as mentioned above, it does come with a hefty price tag. 

Laminate Flooring

In most cases, laminate floors are fast becoming the more popular flooring choice. Laminate flooring for bathrooms, similar to LVT have a moisture-resistant top layer which makes it suitable for rooms that may be exposed to wet areas including kitchens and utility rooms. The right waterproof laminate flooring can work well in the bathroom because they come in the most variety of attractive patterns and designs. You can buy wood, stone and tile effect laminate flooring that look great in bathrooms and event kitchens.

Be careful though as its worth noting that if it’s not installed properly water and moisture can seep through the joins which can cause the bottom wood layer to bubble up.  Sometimes even if its installed properly the click system may not be as affective as some good brands such as quick step laminate flooring which guarantees the product where not only the click system was been vigorously tested but that wood layer has been improved react better in high humidity and moisture scenarios. Keeping this in mind, before purchasing, look out for the moisture-resistant logo in the details and try to opt for known brands if you can afford to, otherwise stay safe and go for LVT Flooring.

Engineered Wood

If you love the natural wood feel, then your option is engineered wood (not solid wood) as it reacts better in high moisture conditions. Engineered wood is manufactured with structured layers of wood with an added plywood base that holds up well against the moisture that can be expected in the bathroom and it looks like just like authentic wood. The reason for this is because the top layer is real hardwood veneer. If you wish to have wood in the bathroom, choosing engineered wood would be the best option. However, it's good to remember that any type of wood, no matter how much it is protected, is prone to damage as moisture expands wood overtime. 

Flooring to avoid

Carpets may feel warm and comfortable, but they retain moisture for far too long and tend to dry out very slowly in confirmed spaces. Carpet is also not waterproof like many of the above options. However, if you do wish to carpet your bathroom, make sure the pile (thickness) is low, and that the material used to make it is 100% inorganic such as nylon.

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